Biomass storage system

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for forming a water storage material from a biomass input material using supercritical or subcritical fluid processing, the water storage material capable of absorbing a liquid and releasing the liquid. The apparatus utilizes supercritical fluid processing, subcritical fluid processing, charring, or a combination thereof. The apparatus includes a controller configured to control the apparatus. The apparatus further including a processing station configured to hold the biomass input material, and to use the biomass input material for processing into the water storage material.

BACKGROUND

Agricultural growing operations require large amounts of water to growand harvest crops. This water comes from natural rainfall and fromirrigation. The water provided from rainfall and irrigation generallysoaks into the soil where crops are grown. However, after being soakedinto the soil, the water continues to seep down and away from thesurface. After time, the water seeps to a level deep enough such thatthe roots of plants cannot gain access to the water. Once water seepsbelow a useful level, farmers are left with little choice but tore-water the land or wait for more rain. Throughout the course of afarming season, the repetitive re-watering contributes to substantialwater waste.

Soil additives can be used in effort to alleviate the water seepageproblem. These additives are typically made of plastics or plastic-typematerials. However, these soil additives are subject to challenges withrespect to use on a large scale in mass agricultural growing operations.The presently available plastic soil additives are expensive topurchase, expensive to transport, and time-consuming to place.

SUMMARY

One exemplary embodiment relates to an apparatus for forming a waterstorage material from a biomass input material using supercritical orsubcritical fluid processing. The water storage material is capable ofabsorbing a liquid and releasing the liquid. The apparatus includes acontroller configured to control the apparatus. The apparatus furtherincludes a processing station configured to hold and to use the biomassinput material for processing into the water storage material. Theapparatus includes a storage unit configured to hold a fluid. Theapparatus further includes a liquid outlet having a fluid inputconnected to an output of the storage unit. The liquid outlet ispositioned to supply the fluid into the processing station forprocessing the biomass input material into the water storage material.The apparatus includes a pump and a basin. The basin is configured toreceive the fluid supplied by the liquid outlet. The basin positionedsuch that the fluid supplied by the liquid outlet passes through theprocessing station before being received in the basin. The basin isoperatively connected to an input of the storage unit such that fluidcaptured in the basin is returned to the storage unit.

Another exemplary embodiment relates to an apparatus for harvesting aplant and processing a portion of the plant into a water storagematerial capable of absorbing a liquid and releasing the liquid. Theapparatus includes a harvester configured to harvest a plant that has afirst portion and a second portion. The apparatus further includes aseparating mechanism configured to separate the first portion of theplant from the second portion of the plant. The apparatus includes aprocessing component that has an input and an output. The processingcomponent is operatively connected to the separating mechanism at theinput such that the processing component receives the second portion ofthe plant. The processing component is configured to process the secondportion of the plant into the water storage material. The apparatusfurther includes a burying mechanism operatively connected to the outputof the processing component such that the burying mechanism receives thewater storage material. The burying mechanism is configured to bury thewater storage material at a burying depth below a surface of a groundmaterial.

Still another exemplary embodiment relates to a method of placing awater storage material in a ground material, The water storage materialis capable of absorbing a liquid and releasing the liquid. The methodincludes determining a burial depth for the water storage material. Thedesired burial depth is conditional upon at least one agriculturalparameter. The method further includes removing a portion of the groundmaterial to form a first trench in the ground material. The first trenchhas a burying depth. The method includes placing a selected amount ofthe water storage material into the first trench at the burying depth.The selected amount is conditional upon at least one of the agriculturalparameter. The method further includes covering the water storagematerial by repositioning at least a portion of the ground materialremoved into the first trench.

Yet another exemplary embodiment relates to a method of placing a waterstorage material capable of absorbing and releasing a liquid in a groundmaterial responsive to an emplacement plan. The method includesreceiving a user input that defines the designated emplacement map. Themethod further includes converting the user input into a machine pathand a set of parameters, wherein the machine path corresponds to theemplacement plan. The method includes tracking a machine by locating aposition of the machine. The method further includes comparing theposition of the machine to the machine path and instructing placement ofthe water storage material by the machine. The method includesgenerating a placement data set and storing the placement data set.

Another exemplary embodiment relates to an apparatus for detecting acondition of a ground material and placing a water storage material inthe ground material. The water storage material is capable of absorbinga liquid and releasing the liquid. The apparatus includes a vehicleincluding a sensor and a burying mechanism. The sensor is configured todetect a condition of the ground material and to provide a sensorsignal. The burying mechanism is configured to bury the water storagematerial at a burying depth below a surface of the ground material.

Another exemplary embodiment relates to an apparatus for collecting aplant waste and processing the plant waste into a water storage materialcapable of absorbing a liquid and releasing the liquid. The apparatusincludes a waste pickup mechanism configured to receive the plant waste.The apparatus further includes a processing component having an inputand an output. The processing component is coupled to the waste pickupmechanism at the input such that the processing component receives theplant waste. The processing component is configured to process the plantwaste into the water storage material. The apparatus includes a buryingmechanism coupled to the output of the processing component such thatthe burying mechanism receives the water storage material. The buryingmechanism is configured to bury the water storage material at a buryingdepth below a surface of a ground material.

Still another exemplary embodiment relates to a method of collectingplant waste and processing the plant waste into a water storage materialcapable of absorbing a liquid and releasing the liquid. The methodincludes receiving the plant waste at a plant waste pickup mechanism.The method further includes providing the plant waste to an input of aprocessing component. The method includes processing the plate wasteinto the water storage material. The method further includes providingthe water storage material to a burying mechanism and burying the waterstorage material at a burying depth below a surface of a groundmaterial.

Yet another exemplary embodiment relates to a method of placing waterstorage material capable of absorbing a liquid and releasing the liquidin a ground material. The method includes providing a sensor anddetecting a condition of the ground material. The method furtherincludes providing a first water storage material to a burying mechanismand burying the first water storage material at a burying depth below asurface of a ground material.

An additional exemplary embodiment relates to a method of harvesting aplant and processing a portion of the plant into a water storagematerial capable of absorbing a liquid and releasing the liquid. Themethod includes harvesting a plant, the plant having a first portion anda second portion. The method further includes separating the firstportion from the second portion. The method includes storing the firstportion and providing the second portion to a processing component. Themethod further includes processing the second portion into the waterstorage material. The method includes providing the water storagematerial to a burying mechanism and burying the water storage materialat a burying depth below a surface of a ground material.

Another exemplary embodiment relates to a system for harvesting a plant,processing a portion of the plant into a water storage material capableof absorbing a liquid and releasing the liquid, and burying the waterstorage material in a ground material. The system includes a harvesterconfigured to harvest a plant that has a first portion and a secondportion. The harvester includes a separating mechanism configured toseparate the first portion of the plant from the second portion of theplant. The harvester further includes a processing component having aninput and an output. The processing component is operatively connectedto the separating mechanism at the input such that the processingcomponent receives the second portion of the plant. The processingcomponent is configured to process the second portion of the plant intothe water storage material capable of absorbing the liquid and releasingthe liquid in a time controlled manner. The harvester further includes adeposition mechanism configured to deposit the water storage materialonto the ground material.

The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being carried outin various ways. Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to otherfeatures and combinations of features as may be generally recited in theclaims.

The foregoing is a summary and thus by necessity containssimplifications, generalizations, and omissions of detail. Consequently,those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary isillustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Otheraspects, inventive features, and advantages of the devices and/orprocesses described herein, as defined solely by the claims, will becomeapparent in the detailed description set forth herein and taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of farmland containing a crop.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of farmland having a water storage materiallayer in the soil.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of the general process of making water storagematerial.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a water storageprocessing machine.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment of a waterstorage processing machine.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a vehicle capable of harvesting a crop,processing a water storage material, and burying water storage materialin the ground.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a water storage material placement in theground beneath a water-guiding trench.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a vehicle capable of processing a waterstorage material and burying the water storage material in the ground.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a water storage material placement vehicleusing location-assisted placement.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a location-assisted water storage materialplacement method.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a water storage placement vehicle havingsensing means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before turning to the figures, which illustrate the exemplaryembodiments in detail, it should be understood that the application isnot limited to the details or methodology set forth in the descriptionor illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that theterminology is for the purpose of description only and should not beregarded as limiting.

Generally, agricultural growing operations utilize large quantities ofwater. Much of the water goes to waste because it seeps or percolates toa depth below the reach of the crops' roots. Additionally, farmingoperations generate large amounts of plant waste during the harvestingprocess. Many crops generate a very small amount of desirable andmarketable product and a large amount of waste plant material. Usingcorn as an example, the ears are the valuable portion of the crop, yetrepresent a small portion of the overall plant, while the stalks andleaves are generally viewed as waste and represent a large portion ofthe plant.

The contemplated water storage material is intended to provide a costeffective method of maintaining water in soil for large scaleoperations. In one embodiment, a water storage material is made out ofplant waste that typically accumulates on a farm during harvesting. Thewater storage material can be made on-site to avoid transportationcosts. The plant waste is transformed into a low-density open-celledcellulosic foam that can absorb liquids, including water, as well asvarious items dissolved into the liquid, such as nutrients, minerals,fertilizers, and pesticides. Alternatively, the plant waste can betransformed into a fibrous material that can absorb liquids, includingwater, as well as various items dissolved into the liquid, such asnutrients, minerals, fertilizers, and pesticides. The contemplated waterstorage material additionally operates to release absorbed liquids andchemicals in a slow and controlled fashion.

Referring to FIG. 1, a cross-section of an exemplary farmland is shown.The exemplary farmland is used to grow and harvest corn 100. Corn 100 isplanted in soil 101. Corn 100 absorbs water and other nutrients throughits roots 102. The soil contains water. The water is generally absorbedin the soil after a rainfall or through irrigation. As the water isabsorbed through the soil, it continues to fall deeper and deeper belowthe surface. This creates both reachable water 103 that is able to beabsorbed by corn 100 through roots 102, as well as unreachable water 104that is deeper than the reach of roots 102.

Referring to FIG. 2, a cross-section of farmland containing waterstorage system 203 in the soil 201 is shown according to an exemplaryembodiment. Water storage system 203 is operable to absorb and retainwater that percolates from the surface of soil 201 down through thedepths of the soil. Water storage system 203 is generally placed at adepth corresponding to the depth of roots 202 of corn 200. Water storagesystem 203 is placed such that it absorbs and retains water that wouldnormally percolate through the soil beyond the reach of roots 202 suchthat corn 200 can consume the water. Water storage system 203 helps tominimize water loss and reduce the amount of watering needed in anagriculture or plant growing operation.

In one embodiment, water storage system 203 is a low-density open-celledcellulosic foam. In another embodiment, water storage system 203 is afibrous material. Water storage system 203 is formed from biomass. Inone embodiment, the biomass is plant material. In another embodiment,the biomass is plant waste remaining after a farm harvesting operation.Water storage system 203 can be formed in different manners to achievevarious water absorption properties and to achieve required rates ofwater release. Water storage system 203 may or may not be biodegradable.

Water storage system 203 may have additional beneficial functions otherthan water absorption and controlled water release. It is contemplatedthat water storage system 203 contains nutrients, minerals, pesticides,and/or biological nutrients such as nitrogen fixing bacteria. Inaddition, seeds may be added to the water storage system 203 togerminate as crops and/or weed suppressing plants with roots wellestablished in the water storage system. Water storage system 203functions by enabling a slower, controlled release of any nutrients,minerals, and/or pesticides contained within the water storage system203 than untreated soil could afford. Water storage system 203 may beimpregnated with nutrients, minerals, and/or pesticides during the waterstorage system manufacturing process. The impregnated chemical may be ahydrophobic or hydrophilic substance. Alternatively, water storagesystem 203 can absorb nutrients, minerals, biological materials, and/orpesticides and/or seeds during the emplacement process or after waterstorage system 203 is placed in the ground.

Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary method for transforming input material301 into a water storage material is shown. Input material 301 iscomprised of biomass. Input material 301 is biomass, such as plantmaterial and/or plant waste material. Input material 301 is processed(step 302). Processing step 302 works to break the bonds of inputmaterial 301 and transform the input material into a material (step 303)capable of acting as water storage material. The resultant material isoutput (step 303) as a fibrous material, a foam, or another materialcapable of performing as a water storage material.

Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary water storage material processingsystem 400 is shown. Processing system 400 utilizes supercritical fluidor close to supercritical (subcritical) fluid processing to transforminput material 401 into water storage material. During supercritical orsubcritical fluid processing, input material 401 is subjected to astream of reactant fluid 402. Stream of fluid 402 is directed towardsinput material 401 by liquid outlets 403. Liquid outlets 403 may betapered or untapered nozzles. The fluid may be heated and/or of a hightemperature. The heated fluid may be heated water. The heated fluid maybe acidic and of a relatively extreme pH. According to variousembodiments, the pH falls into a range of 0 and 5. The heated fluid 402is stored in a reactant storage compartment, shown as but not limited totank 404, such that stream of fluid 402 is a high-pressure stream. Apump may provide the pressure and transport fluid to liquid outlets 403.Alternatively, air pressure inside tank 404 may generate the fluidpressure and transport the fluid 402. The tank 404 may have a heater405. Heater 405 can be located inside of tank 404 or outside of tank404. The heat may come from electricity or from burning fuel. The heatcan come from combusting a portion of input material 401. Duringexposure to heated fluid 402, input material is transformed into a waterstorage material. The water storage material can be a foam.Alternatively, the water storage material can be a fibrous material. Thefinished water storage material may be removed manually or automatically(e.g., through the use of a conveyor system). Additionally, posttreatment processing fluid is captured in a byproduct storage device,shown as but not limited to basin 406, such that waste or byproductfluid 402 can be passed through a recycling component, such as filter407. The recycling component (filter 407) works to process the byproductor waste fluid 402 resulting from the processing of the input materialback into more reactant fluid 402. Accordingly, fluid 402 is returned totank 404 for reuse in order to reduce waste fluid. It is contemplatedthat all of the components involved in the transport of the fluid can beoperatively connected with hoses, pipes, or other suitable transportstructures.

Processing system 400 further employs sensors 408 that monitor inputmaterial 401. Sensors 408 are operable to detect a characteristic of theinput material. The characteristic may be the level of porosity of theprocessed input material in order to prevent over or under processing.The sensor may be an ultrasound sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, orany other type of sensor operable to detect a characteristic of theinput material. The pH, pressure, and temperature of the fluid, andprocessing time can be controlled to help prevent over or underprocessing. These variables may be controlled manually or by acontroller. The controller may receive input from sensors 408, as wellas input from additional sensors to monitor the pressure, pH, andtemperature of the fluid.

The controller is operable to control all aspects of processing system400. Generally, the controller includes a processing circuit and memory.The controller is operable to receive input signals from sensors 408,the operator of processing system 400, and any additional sensor orfeedback signals necessary to control processing system 400. Thecontroller is also operable to provide output to various componentswithin processing system. Further, the controller may interface with anetwork such that the controller can communicate with devices outside ofprocessing system 400.

It is noted that after use of processing system 400 is complete, thereremains a tank full of hot, pressurized fluid. It is contemplated thatthe heat energy from the left-over hot fluid can be captured and storedfor further use. Likewise, it is contemplated that the pressure fromwithin the tank can be captured and stored.

Referring to FIG. 5, another exemplary processing system 500 isdisclosed. Processing system 500 utilizes a charring technique totransform input material 501 into output material 506 capable of beingused as a water storage material. Charring may or may not be done in anreduced oxygen atmosphere. Oxygen levels may be reducing by displacementwith other gases such as nitrogen or using the evolved gases from thecharring process or partially or fully sealing rotating drum 503. Inputmaterial 501 is fed into feeding device 502. Feeding device 502 feedsinput material 501 into a processing station, shown as, but not limitedto, rotating drum 503. Rotating drum 503 may be constructed out of afire resistant mesh. The fire resistant mesh may be a heat resistantmetal having a high melting temperature. Alternatively, the processingstation can include a conveyor. Similarly, the conveyor may beconstructed out of a heat resistant metal or metal mesh having a highmelting temperature. Input material 501 is then passed over flamesgenerated by burner unit 504 where the input material is charred to asufficient level. The flames are generated through burning fuel. It iscontemplated that the fuel can be a gas, a liquid, or a portion of theinput material. Rotating drum 503 rotates during the charring process toensure that input material 501 is evenly charred. Once the charring issufficiently complete, the transformed material is output as outputmaterial 506. Output material 506 is capable of being used as a waterstorage material.

Processing system 500 employs sensors 505 that monitor the level ofcharring. Sensors 505 are are operable to detect a characteristic ofinput material 501. The characteristic may be the level of porosity ofthe processed input material in order to prevent over or underprocessing. The sensor may be an ultrasound sensor, an infrared sensor,a camera, or any other type of sensor operable to detect acharacteristic of input material 501. The temperature of the flamesgenerated by burner unit 504, the rotational speed of rotating drum 503,and the processing time can be controlled to help prevent over or underprocessing. These variables may be controlled manually or by acontroller. The controller may receive input from sensors 505, as wellas input from additional sensors operable to monitor the temperature ofburner unit 504 and the rotational speed of rotating drum 503.

In another exemplary embodiment, a processing apparatus and methodutilizes both charring and supercritical/subcritical fluid processing totransform an input material into an output material capable of beingused as a water storage material. In this setup, it is contemplated thatthe excess heat generated in the charring stage can be used to heat orto help heat the water used during the supercritical fluid processingstage.

Referring to FIG. 6, a processing and harvesting machine (shown ascombine 600) is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Combine 600harvests crop 601 through crop pickup 602. Combine 600 is configured toseparate a first portion of the crop, a consumer valuable portion (e.g.,corn ears), from a second portion of the crop, a waste portion (e.g.,corn stalks). Combine 600 routes the second portion of the crop toprocessor 603. Combine 600 may have a storage compartment for storage ofthe first portion of the crop. Processor 603 receives the second portionof the crop as input material for processing into a water storagematerial. Processor 603 houses a processing system that performs one ofthe above processing methods and is operable to turn an input biomassinto water storage material 605. Water storage material 605 may bestored on board combine 600 for future placement. Alternatively, waterstorage material 605 may be immediately placed and/or buried by combine600.

To facilitate immediate placement and future placement, combine 600 mayinclude burying device 604. Burying device 604 buries water storagematerial 605 at a predetermined depth into the ground. Burying device604 can distribute water storage material 605 through spraying,disbursing, laying, or any other method operable to place the material.Burying device 604 may contain a plow mechanism to shift ground beforeplacing water storage material 605. Burying device 604 is adjustablesuch that water storage material 605 can be buried at varied depths toaccommodate different types of crops having different root structures.Accordingly, the burying depth of water storage material 605 may bebased on at least one agricultural parameter. The agriculturalparameters include crop type, local climate conditions, local climatepredictions, soil quality, an irrigation system (e.g., presence, type,amount of water provided), and/or soil contents. Further, burying device604 can be adjusted to place the water storage material at varying arealdensities. In some situations, it may be desirable to heavily saturatethe ground in order to achieve a high density of water storage material605. In other situations, it may be desirable to have a low density ofwater storage material 605, and thus the burying device 604 willdistribute very little of water storage material 605. Accordingly, theareal density of water storage material 605 may be based on at least oneagricultural parameter. The agricultural parameters include crop type,local climate conditions, local climate predictions, soil quality, anirrigation system (e.g., presence, type, amount of water provided),and/or soil contents.

Processor 603 further contains ground shaping mechanism 606. Groundshaping mechanism 606 shapes the ground above the depth that waterstorage material 605 is buried. In order for water storage material 605to fully function, water needs to reach water storage material 605.Ground shaping mechanism 606 reshapes the ground in order to help directsurface water to water storage material 605.

Combine 600 further includes a data recorder having data storage meanssuch as a data storage medium. The data recorder is configured to recordany of the amount of water storage material 605 buried in the ground,the location of the buried or deposited water storage material 605, thedepth of the buried or deposited water storage material 605, the arealdensity of the buried or deposited water storage material 605, and anyfunctional characteristics of water storage material 605 (e.g., the basematerial of water storage material 605, any impregnated chemicals, orany other parameter associated with the production and placement of thewater storage material).

As shown in FIG. 7, the reshaped ground may take on the appearance oftrough or channel 700 having sloped walls 701 to help guide surfacewater. Ground shaping mechanism 606 is adjustable to adjust the depth702, the width 703, and the angle α of the sloped walls 701 of trough orchannel 700. Depth 702 is less than the depth at which water storagematerial 605 is buried. Ground shaping mechanism 606 is not limited toshaping a trough or channel 700. Ground shaping mechanism 606 may beconfigured to reshape the ground into any shape that functions to routewater to the ground above placed water storage material 605. Further, itis contemplated that ground shaping mechanism 606 may be configured toflatten the ground above water storage material 605. Such aconfiguration may be desirable if the ground is used for a lawn or golfcourse.

Referring to FIG. 8, an additional exemplary processing machine 800 isshown. Processing machine 800 is independent of a harvesting machine,such as a combine. Processing machine 800 is operable to pick upharvesting waste plant material formed into bale 801 with mechanical arm802. While processing machine 800 is shown to be capable of gatheringwaste plant material from bales, it should be appreciated thatprocessing machine 800 may be configured to pick up other shapes ofharvesting waste including, but not limited to, piles, waste located inbins, and waste left along the path of harvesting. After processingmachine 800 picks up bale 801, the machine places bale 801 intoreceiving component 803. Once in the receiving component, bale 801 isprocessed into water storage material 804 using one of the abovedescribed methods.

Processing machine 800 further contains burying device 805. Buryingdevice 805 buries the finished water storage material 804 at apredetermined depth into the ground. Burying device 805 is adjustablesuch that water storage material 804 can be buried at varied depths.Further, burying device 805 can be adjusted to deposit varying amountsof water storage material 804.

Processing machine 800 further includes ground shaping mechanism 806.Ground shaping mechanism 806 shapes the ground above the depth thatwater storage material 804 is buried. Ground shaping mechanism 806 mayreshape the ground into a trough or channel to help direct surface waterto water storage material 804. Ground shaping mechanism 806 isadjustable to adjust the depth, the width, and the angle of the slopedwalls of the trough or channel. Further, it is contemplated that groundshaping mechanism 806 may be configured to flatten the ground abovewater storage material 804.

Processing machine 800 further includes a data recorder having datastorage means such as data storage medium. The data recorder isconfigured to record any of the amount of water storage material 804buried or deposited in the ground, the location of the buried ordeposited water storage material 804, the depth of the buried ordeposited water storage material 804, the areal density of the buried ordeposited water storage material 804, and any functional characteristicsof water storage material 804 (e.g., the base material of water storagematerial 804, any impregnated chemicals, or any other parameterassociated with the production and placement of the water storagematerial).

The water storage material can be strategically placed to improveagricultural growing operations. For example, it may be desirable toplace the water storage material according to a set pattern. It iscontemplated that a farmer may choose to place the water storagematerial only along designated paths where planting will occur, such asbeneath rows of corn in a cornfield or beneath the intended locations ofindividual plants. Such an application may minimize the amount of waterstorage material needed. Alternatively, the water storage material maybe placed across entire areas. Such a placement strategy is optimal forapplications in dry climates that receive minimal precipitation or inareas where plants cover the entire land, such as lawns and golfcourses. Accordingly, placement of water storage material may be basedon at least one agricultural parameter. The agricultural parametersinclude crop type, local climate conditions, local climate predictions,soil quality, an irrigation system (e.g., presence, type, amount ofwater provided), and/or soil contents. The agricultural parameters mayfactor into the placement depth and the areal density of the buriedwater storage material. As discussed below, an automated,location-assisted water storage material placement system may beemployed.

Referring to FIG. 9, in order to assist with strategic water storagematerial placement, water storage material placement vehicle 900 mayutilize location-assisted placement to precisely place the material.Placement vehicle 900 is equipped with location tracking equipment, suchas GPS receiver 901 in an exemplary embodiment. GPS receiver 901receives signals from GPS satellites 902 and precisely tracks thelocation the location of placement vehicle 900. Tracking data may besent to and stored in a computer or navigation device. Tracking data maybe useful for determining where and when water storage material wasplaced.

FIG. 10 shows a flow chart describing a basic method of utilizinglocation-assisted placement of water storage material. The steps of thelocation-assisted placement method may be facilitated and controlled bya central control unit. A user input as to the desired placementstrategy is provided (step 1001). The user placement strategycorresponds to a water storage material emplacement plan or emplacementmap. The user can select from a variety of preset patterns or templatesincluding, but not limited to, rows, geometric shapes, perimeters,areas, and/or lines between two points. The template may correspond toan algorithm relating a desired trait of a placement of the waterstorage material to a sensed characteristic of the ground material. Thesensed characteristic may be the presence or the amount of water in theground material, the presence or the amount of previously placed waterstorage material, or the composition of the ground material.Alternatively, it is contemplated that the user can manually input thedesired pattern through a series of coordinates or through interactionwith a graphical user interface displaying a map of the land. The usermay further define other variables including, but not limited to, depthand density of the desired water storage material placement ordepositing. Further, it is contemplated that a user may select atemplate from a set of templates that automatically selects a patternand sets water storage material variables based on any of previous waterstorage material application history, crop type, season, geographiclocation, weather predictions, and/or layout of the land. The desiredplacement or depositing strategy is stored by a data recorder in datastorage medium.

Further referring to FIG. 10, the user input undergoes computerprocessing (step 1002) to define a path for the water storage materialplacement vehicle to follow, processing parameters for water storagematerial, water storage material placement information, and groundshaping instructions. The path may be optimized to lay the water storagematerial in the desired pattern in a minimal amount of time. It isfurther contemplated that the path of the water storage materialplacement vehicle may be optimized to minimize fuel consumption. Once apath is processed, the path is displayed to the operator of the waterstorage material placement vehicle on a device containing softwarecapable of tracking the location of the water storage material placementvehicle. The path may be displayed on a portable display unit capable ofbeing placed in the water storage material placement vehicle. In analternative embodiment, the path may be displayed in a built-in displayunit in the water storage material placement vehicle. Still, in afurther embodiment, the path may be displayed on a personal electronicdevice, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet computing device,a laptop, or a PDA.

After displaying the path to the operator, the operator begins operatingthe vehicle to place the water storage material in the ground. Duringoperation, it is contemplated that the operator receives real-timenavigation instructions through the display containing the processedpath. During operation, the method contemplates that the softwaredisplaying the desired path receives the vehicle's actual location andcompares the location with the desired path (step 1004). If the user iswithin the desired path (see step 1005), the software either alerts theoperator to place the water storage material or controls the placementof the water storage material through a data link with the processingmachine (step 1006). If the vehicle is not within the desired path, thesystem can alert the driver (step 1007) of the proper steps needed toregain alignment with the desired path. Further, if the vehicle is offpath, the system can stop placement of the water storage material untilthe vehicle is in the right spot.

Further referring to FIG. 10, the system stores placement data (step1008). The placement data can be analyzed by a user or operator. It isfurther contemplated that the user or operator may wish to keep recordsof the locations of water storage materials, the dates of placement, andthe types of water storage material placed. Accordingly, the systemincludes a data recorder having data storage means such as data storagemedium. The data recorder is configured to record any of the amount ofwater storage material buried in the ground or deposited on the ground,the location of the buried or deposited water storage material, thedepth of the buried water storage material, the areal density of theburied or deposited water storage material, and any functionalcharacteristics of water storage material (e.g., the base material ofwater storage material 804, any impregnated chemicals, or any otherparameter associated with the production and placement of the waterstorage material). It is further contemplated that the system can uploadthe stored information to an online server for remote access or auser-owned remote storage device.

As the placement vehicle continues to place water storage material alongthe desired path, the system continuously tracks the vehicle's progressalong the desired path and determines if the path is complete (step1009). If the path is complete, the process stops (step 1010) and thedriver of the vehicle is alerted that the placement is complete. If thepath is not complete, the process returns to step 1004 and continuesuntil the path is complete.

The water storage material may function longer than a single growingseason. The rate at which the contemplated water storage materialnaturally degrades depends on many factors including the material thewater storage material is made from, the type of soil the water storagematerial is buried in, and the depth at which the water storage materialis buried. Further, water storage material from one placement mayfunction in harmony with water storage material of a future placement.Accordingly, a seasonal user, such as a farmer, may wish to adjust theamount of water storage material he places in the ground every seasondepending on the condition and quantity of any water storage material inthe ground from prior seasons. Thus, it is beneficial to enable alreadyplaced water storage material to be easily identified.

In one embodiment, the water storage material may contain an identifyingtaggant. The taggant operates to identify a batch of already placedwater storage material. The taggant may also identify, link to, or storeinformation pertaining to the year in which the water storage materialwas applied, the base material that forms the water storage material,the type of crop the water storage material was used for, any minerals,vitamins, biological materials, or pesticides impregnated in the waterstorage material, the quantity or density of water storage materialplaced, its state of biodegradation, its water capacity, or any othercharacteristic of the placed water storage material. The taggant may bea chemical that is capable of detection and identification by a sensor.The chemical can be impregnated in, or placed in contact with, the waterstorage material. Alternatively, the taggant may be an RFID tag that isburied with the water storage material. The RFID may comprise sensors todetect taggants. Accordingly, the taggant can be scanned by a sensor todetermine what type of water storage material is already in the ground.

Referring to FIG. 11, an exemplary water storage material processing andplacement vehicle 1101 is shown. Vehicle 1101 includes water storagematerial burying mechanism 1102 and ground shaping mechanism 1103.Additionally, vehicle 1101 contains sensors 1104. Sensors 1104 areoperable to detect conditions of the ground material. The conditions ofthe ground material include the presence of previously placed waterstorage material 1105, the location and density of previously placedwater storage material, the presence of water in the ground material,the depth of any located water, the pH of located water, and the groundmaterial composition. Accordingly, sensors 1140 may be groundpenetrating radar, ultrasound, infrared, resistive, and pH sensors.Alternatively, sensors 1104 are capable of detecting chemical taggantsimpregnated in the already placed water storage material 1105.Alternatively, sensors 1104 are RFID readers capable of detecting RFIDtags buried with the already placed water storage material 1105. Sensors1104 output sensor signals indicative of the detected groundcharacteristics to a controller. The controller is configured to analyzethe detected ground characteristic and is configured to adjustparameters of burying mechanism 1102 such that the amount of new waterstorage material 1106 placed can be adjusted to account for the amountand type of water storage material already in the ground 1105. Forexample, the areal density or the burial depth for new water storagematerial 1106 may be adjusted based on the detected presence or absenceof already placed water storage material 1105.

In an alternative embodiment, the water storage material may containcolorants such that the material may be identified after placement inthe ground. The colorants of the water storage material may serve toidentify the year in which the water storage material was applied, thebase material that forms the water storage material, the type of cropthe water storage material is used for, any minerals, vitamins,biological agents, or pesticides impregnated in the water storagematerial, the quantity or density of water storage material placed, orany other characteristic of the placed water storage material. Thecolorants may be visible to the naked eye. Thus, when plowing the fieldscontaining a water storage material having a colorant, identification ofthe colorant can be made without any additional machinery.Alternatively, the colorants may be sensed by a sensor. The sensor maybe part of a water storage material placement machine.

For example, a farmer may annually plow and seed his farmland. Duringplowing, the farmer may notice the colored water storage material in theground remaining from last year. The farmer can utilize written orelectronic records to match the water storage material's color with thetype of material the water storage material was made from, the date thewater storage material was placed, the density of the water storagematerial in the soil, and if the already placed water storage materialhas any pesticides or nutrients impregnated in it. Based on thediscovered information, the farmer may adjust the amount of waterstorage material he or she wishes to place in the ground for theupcoming season.

It is important to note that any of the above described embodiments canhave various functions split into separate machines or vehicles. Combine600, processing machine 800, vehicle 900, and vehicle 1101 may beseparated into multiple vehicles each with a distinct function. Forexample, it is contemplated that a first vehicle processes an inputmaterial into a water storage material, but does not bury it. The firstvehicle then places or deposits the processed water storage materialonto the surface of the ground. The processed water storage material maybe bound and/or packaged, deposited in bulk deposits, placed accordingto a desired emplacement pattern, or arbitrarily placed as it isprocessed. A second vehicle then buries the placed water storagematerial. The second vehicle may place the water storage material in thepattern it was laid out by the first vehicle. Alternatively, the secondvehicle can pick up and bury the placed water capacitor material in adifferent location.

It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of theelements of the systems and methods as shown in the exemplaryembodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments ofthe present disclosure have been described in detail, those skilled inthe art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that manymodifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions,structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values ofparameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors,orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example,elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple partsor elements. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies ofthe enclosure may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materialsthat provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide varietyof colors, textures, and combinations. Additionally, in the subjectdescription, the word “exemplary” is used to mean serving as an example,instance, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described herein as“exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, use of the word“exemplary” is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included withinthe scope of the present inventions. The order or sequence of anyprocess or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according toalternative embodiments. Any means-plus-function clause is intended tocover the structures described herein as performing the recited functionand not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures.Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be madein the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the preferredand other exemplary embodiments without departing from scope of thepresent disclosure or from the spirit of the appended claims.

The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems, and programproducts on any machine-readable media for accomplishing variousoperations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implementedusing existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computerprocessor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or anotherpurpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of thepresent disclosure include program products comprising machine-readablemedia for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or datastructures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be anyavailable media that can be accessed by a general purpose or specialpurpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example,such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROMor other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magneticstorage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or storedesired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions ordata structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose orspecial purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Wheninformation is transferred or provided over a network or anothercommunications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combinationof hardwired or wireless) to a machine, the machine properly views theconnection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection isproperly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above arealso included within the scope of machine-readable media.Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions anddata which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer,or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function orgroup of functions.

Although the figures may show a specific order of method steps, theorder of the steps may differ from what is depicted. Also two or moresteps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Suchvariation will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and ondesigner choice. All such variations are within the scope of thedisclosure. Likewise, software implementations could be accomplishedwith standard programming techniques with rule based logic and otherlogic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps,comparison steps and decision steps.

What is claimed:
 1. An apparatus for harvesting a plant and processing aportion of the plant into a water storage material, the water storagematerial capable of absorbing a liquid and releasing the liquid,comprising: a harvester configured to harvest a plant, the plant havinga first portion and a second portion; a separating mechanism, theseparating mechanism configured to separate the first portion of theplant from the second portion of the plant; a processing component,having an input and an output, the processing component operativelyconnected to the separating mechanism at the input such that theprocessing component receives the second portion of the plant, theprocessing component configured to process the second portion of theplant into the water storage material, the water storage materialcapable of absorbing the liquid and releasing the liquid in a timecontrolled manner; and a burying mechanism, the burying mechanismoperatively connected to the output of the processing component suchthat the burying mechanism receives the water storage material, theburying mechanism configured to bury the water storage material at aburying depth below a surface of a ground material.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the burying mechanism includes a plow configured to digto clear a portion of the ground material up to the burying depth. 3.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the burying mechanism is adjustablesuch that the burying depth is adjustable.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the burying mechanism is adjustable such that the water storagematerial can be buried at different areal densities.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further including a ground shaping mechanism.
 6. The apparatusof claim 5, wherein the ground shaping mechanism is configured to shapethe ground material above the burying depth.
 7. The apparatus of claim6, wherein the ground shaping mechanism is configured to form a channelin the ground material, the channel having a channel depth, a channelwidth, and a channel wall angle, wherein the channel depth is less thanthe burying depth.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the groundshaping mechanism is adjustable to alter the channel depth, the channelwidth, and/or the channel wall angle.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the processing component includes a supercritical or subcriticalfluid processing component.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theprocessing component includes a charring component.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising a data recorder configured to store dataassociated with at least one of an amount of water storage materialburied, a location of buried water storage material, and functionalcharacteristics of the water storage material.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising a data storage medium configured to storedata associated with a desired emplacement of the water storagematerial.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reactantstorage compartment configured to store a reactant used for theprocessing of the second portion into the water storage material. 14.The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a byproduct storagecompartment configured to store a byproduct resulting from theprocessing of the second portion into the water storage material. 15.The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a recycling componentconfigured to recycle the byproduct into the reactant.
 16. A system forharvesting a plant, processing a portion of the plant into a waterstorage material, the water storage material capable of absorbing aliquid and releasing the liquid, and burying the water storage materialin a ground material, comprising: a harvester configured to harvest aplant, the plant having a first portion and a second portion, theharvester including, a separating mechanism, the separating mechanismconfigured to separate the first portion of the plant from the secondportion of the plant; a processing component, having an input and anoutput, the processing component operatively connected to the separatingmechanism at the input such that the processing component receives thesecond portion of the plant, the processing component configured toprocess the second portion of the plant into the water storage material,the water storage material capable of absorbing the liquid and releasingthe liquid in a time controlled manner; and a deposition mechanismconfigured to receive the water storage material from the outlet and todeposit the water storage material onto the ground material.
 17. Thesystem of claim 16, wherein the harvester is a vehicle.
 18. The systemof claim 17 wherein the vehicle includes a storage compartmentconfigured to store the first portion of the plant.
 19. The system ofclaim 16, wherein the processing component includes a supercritical orsubcritical fluid processing component.
 20. The system of claim 16wherein the processing component includes a charring component.
 21. Thesystem of claim 16, further comprising a data recorder configured tostore data associated with at least one of an amount of water storagematerial deposited, a location of deposited water storage material, anda functional characteristic of the water storage material.
 22. Thesystem of claim 16, further comprising a data storage medium configuredto store data associated with a desired deposition of the water storagematerial.
 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the stored data comprisesa desired deposition location.
 24. The system of claim 22, wherein thestored data comprises a desired deposition amount.
 25. The system ofclaim 16, further comprising a reactant storage compartment configuredto store one or more reactants used for the processing of the secondportion of the plant into the water storage material.
 26. The system ofclaim 25, further comprising a byproduct storage compartment configuredto store a byproduct resulting from the processing of the second portionof the plant into the water storage material.
 27. The system of claim26, further comprising a recycling component configured to recycle thebyproduct into one or more of the reactants.
 28. The system of claim 16,further comprising a packaging mechanism configured to package the waterstorage material before deposition.
 29. The system of claim 16, furthercomprising a taggant configured to be emplaced in the deposited waterstorage material.